High-speed fiber feed assembly

Abstract

The fiber feed assembly includes one or more dampening bars arranged between a fiber source and an intake assembly that guides the fiber into an elongated feed tube through which the fiber is transferred for additional processing. The spacing and orientation of the dampening bar(s) relative to both the fiber source and the intake assembly may adjusted to control the fiber tension and remove fiber loops before the fiber enters the feed tube to reduce fiber breakage and machine downtime.

1. A fiber feed system comprising:
 a fiber source from which a fiber is drawn;  
 a dampening bar assembly having a surface portion for receiving and contacting the fiber being drawn from the fiber source;  
 an intake housing arranged to receive the fiber from the dampening bar assembly, the intake housing providing a large front opening through which the fiber enters the intake housing and a small rear opening through which the fiber exits the intake housing;  
 a feed tube having an inlet arranged adjacent the rear opening of the intake housing to receive the exiting fiber and an outlet; and  
 a fiber processing apparatus to receive and process the fiber exiting from the feed tube outlet; wherein,  
 the dampening bar assembly comprises a first dampening bar and a second dampening bar, each of the dampening bars being generally cylindrical and characterized by a longitudinal axis and a diameter,  
 the first and second dampening bars being arranged so that their longitudinal axes are both substantially parallel to one another and perpendicular to the fiber being drawn from the fiber source, the fiber making contact with both a first rounded outer surface on the first dampening bar and with a second rounded outer surface on the second dampening bar before entering the intake housing.  
 
   
   
     2. A fiber feed system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the intake housing comprises a generally hemispherical assembly with an edge of the front opening generally defining a circle in proximity to the second dampening bar, the intake housing and the second dampening bar being arranged so that a diameter of the front opening is generally above and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second dampening bar.  
 
   
   
     3. A fiber feed system according to  claim 2 , wherein the portions of the intake housing and dampening bar assembly contacted by the fiber comprise a plurality of smooth bearing surfaces that cause little or no damage to the fiber as it passes over the bearing surfaces. 
   
   
     4. A fiber feed system according to  claim 3 , wherein the portions of the intake housing and dampening bar assembly contacted by the fiber comprise one or more materials selected from a group consisting of stainless steel, copper, high density polymers, and ultra high molecular weight polymers. 
   
   
     5. A fiber feed system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the small rear opening of the intake housing and the feed tube inlet are configured to provide a smooth rounded transition surface between the intake housing and the feed tube.  
 
   
   
     6. A fiber feed system according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one portion of one of the dampening bars contacted by the fiber is provided with a textured surface sufficient to alter the fiber in a predetermined manner as the fiber passes over the textured surface. 
   
   
     7. A fiber feed system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the relative positions of the fiber source and the rear opening of the intake housing define a fiber axis, and  
 the longitudinal axes of the first and second dampening bars are generally perpendicular to the fiber axis.  
 
   
   
     8. A fiber feed system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the longitudinal axes of the first and second dampening bars generally intersect the fiber axis.  
 
   
   
     9. A fiber feed system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the longitudinal axis of one of at least one of the first and second dampening bars is offset from the fiber axis, a line between the two longitudinal axes forming an offset angle with the fiber axis.  
 
   
   
     10. A fiber feed system according to  claim 9 , wherein the offset angle is at least 15 degrees. 
   
   
     11. A fiber feed system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 at least one of the first and second dampening bars is moveable between a first position and a second position with respect to the fiber axis, the movement tending to modify a tension exerted on the fiber as it is drawn into the intake housing.  
 
   
   
     12. A fiber feed system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 at least one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is moveable between a first radial spacing and a second radial spacing with respect to a fiber axis, the movement tending to modify a tension exerted on the fiber as it is drawn into the intake housing.  
 
   
   
     13. A fiber feed system comprising:
 a plurality of fiber sources fro which a plurality of fibers are drawn;  
 a dampening bar assembly having a plurality of rounded surface portions across which the fibers are drawn from the fiber sources;  
 a plurality of intake housings arranged to receive one or more of the fibers from the dampening bar assembly, each intake housing providing a large front opening through which one or more fibers enters the intake housing and a small rear opening though which the one or more fibers exits the intake housing;  
 a plurality of fee tubes, each feed tube having an inlet arranged at the rare opening of one of the intake housings to receive the exiting fiber or fibers and an outlet; and  
 a fiber processing apparatus arranged to receive the fiber or fibers exiting from one or more of the feed tube outlets; wherein,  
 the plurality of fiber sources are arranged in a creel that holds the fiber sources in a predetermined orientation with respect to the intake housings;  
 the fiber sources, dampening bar assembly and intake housing are arranged in a generally vertically aligned orientation wherein  
 the fiber sources are arranged generally below the dampening bar assembly and  
 the dampening bar assembly is arranged generally below the intake housing;  
 and further wherein,  
 a first ratio between a first distance between the fibers sources and the dampening bar assembly and a second distance between the dampening bar assembly and the intake housing is at least 10.  
 
   
   
     14. A fiber feed system according to  claim 13  wherein the first ratio is at least 25. 
   
   
     15. A fiber feed system according to  claim 13  wherein the first ratio is at least 50. 
   
   
     16. A fiber feed system according to  claim 13  wherein the dampening bar assembly comprises a first and a second dampening bar; and further wherein;
 a second ratio of a third distance between the first and second dampening bars and a second distance between one of the first and second dampening bars closest to the intake housing and the intake housing is less than about 5.  
 
   
   
     17. A fiber feed system according to  claim 16  wherein:
 the second ratio is less than about 2.  
 
   
   
     18. A fiber feed system comprising:
 a fiber source from which a fiber is drawn;  
 a dampening bar assembly including at least a first dampening bar, the first dampening bar defining an elongate member between a first terminal end and a second terminal end and being generally cylindrical and characterized by a longitudinal axis, the first dampening bar having at least a portion of a first outer surface configured to receive and to contact the fiber being drawn from the fiber source;  
 an intake housing arranged to receive the fiber from the first dampening bar, the intake housing providing a front opening through which the fiber enters the intake housing and a rear opening through which the fiber exits the intake housing; and  
 a feed tube having an inlet arranged adjacent the rear opening of the intake housing to receive the exiting fiber and an outlet.  
 
   
   
     19. The system of  claim 18  wherein the first dampening bar is disposed such that a center of the first dampening bar is generally aligned along a fiber axis of the fiber defined between the fiber source and a center of the rear opening of the intake housing. 
   
   
     20. The system of  claim 19  wherein the first dampening bar is further disposed such that it is moveable between at least a first position where the center of the first dampening bar is generally aligned along the fiber axis of the fiber and at least a second position where the first dampening bar is offset from the fiber axis of the fiber. 
   
   
     21. The system of  claim 18  wherein the dampening bar assembly further includes a second dampening bar defining an elongate member between a first terminal end and a second terminal end and being generally cylindrical and characterized by a longitudinal axis, the second dampening bar having at least a portion of a first outer surface configured to receive and to contact the fiber being drawn from the fiber source, the second dampening bar being disposed relative to the first dampening bar such that the first and the second dampening bars define a first distance therebetween through which the fiber is drawn. 
   
   
     22. The system of  claim 21  wherein the second dampening bar is disposed relative to the first dampening bar such that the longitudinal axes of the first and the second dampening bars are substantially parallel. 
   
   
     23. The system of  claim 22  wherein the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar are disposed such that a center of each of the first and the second dampening bar is generally aligned along a fiber axis of the fiber defined between the fiber source and a center of the rear opening of the intake housing. 
   
   
     24. The system of  claim 23  wherein one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is moveable between at least a first position where the center of one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is generally aligned along the fiber axis of the fiber and at least a second position where the center of one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is offset from the fiber axis of the fiber. 
   
   
     25. The system of  claim 21  wherein the second dampening bar is disposed relative to the first dampening bar such that the longitudinal axis of the first dampening bar is offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the second dampening bar. 
   
   
     26. The system of  claim 25  wherein one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is further disposed such that a center of one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is generally aligned along a fiber axis of the fiber defined between the fiber source and a center of the rear opening of the intake housing. 
   
   
     27. The system of  claim 25  wherein one of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar is moveable to modify the first distance between the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar. 
   
   
     28. The system of  claim 27  wherein each of the first dampening bar and the second dampening bar are disposed to exert a tension on the fiber as it is drawn into the intake housing. 
   
   
     29. The system of  claim 21  wherein the first dampening bar is offset at an angle relative to the second dampening bar. 
   
   
     30. The system of  claim 29  wherein the second dampening bar is generally aligned along a fiber axis of the fiber defined between the fiber source and a center of the rear opening of the intake housing. 
   
   
     31. The system of  claim 30  wherein the angle measures between the fiber axis and a line projected through the center of the first dampening bar and a point along the fiber axis perpendicular to a lowest surface of the first dampening bar. 
   
   
     32. The system of  claim 31  wherein the angle is at least 15 degrees. 
   
   
     33. The system of  claim 21  wherein a first ratio between a second distance between the fiber source and the dampening bar assembly and a third distance between the dampening bar assembly and the intake housing is at least 50. 
   
   
     34. The system of  claim 33  wherein a second ratio between the first distance between the first and the second dampening bars and the third distance between the dampening bar assembly and the intake housing is less than about 5. 
   
   
     35. The system of  claim 34  wherein the second ratio is less than about 2. 
   
   
     36. The system of  claim 21  wherein the first ratio is at least 25. 
   
   
     37. The system of  claim 21  wherein the first ratio is at least 10. 
   
   
     38. The system of  claim 21  wherein each of the first and the second dampening bars is one of a circular cylinder and an oval cylinder. 
   
   
     39. The system of  claim 21  wherein each of the first and the second dampening bars is a hollow member. 
   
   
     40. The system of  claim 18  wherein the first dampening bar is one of a circular cylinder and an oval cylinder. 
   
   
     41. The system of  claim 18  wherein the first dampening bar is a hollow member. 
   
   
     42. The system of  claim 18  further comprising a fiber processing system to receive and process the fiber exiting from the feed tube outlet.